This application relates to the art of electrical ground rods, and to an apparatus and method for electroplating same. Although the invention will be described with specific reference to electrical ground rods, it will be appreciated that the apparatus and method can be used for electroplating other workpieces.
Conventional procedures for manufacturing and electroplating electrical ground rods often produce rods that are not plated with a continuous uniform coating over substantially their entire outer surface. In rack plating, the areas of the rods supported on the racks may remain unplated, or have a plating that is not of the same thickness as the remainder of the rod. The rods are also located different distances from the anodes, and the ends of the rods may receive heavier coatings so the rods take on a dog bone effect. The ends of the rods must then be cut off and one end of the rod shaped to a point. The cut and pointed ends then remain unplated.
Electrical ground rods are also manufactured by electroplating a continuous length of wire which is then cut to desired lengths, and the individual lengths are shaped to a point at one end. Again, the severed and pointed end portions remain unplated.
When a rod is plated by moving same longitudinally between sacrificial anodes, the areas of the rod facing directly toward the anodes receive a thicker plating than the rod areas facing away from the anodes. This wastes plating metal by requiring overplating of the rod areas facing the anodes in order to obtain adequate plating thickness on the rod areas facing away from the anodes.
During plating, ions are rapidly depleted from the plating solution adjacent the rod. Air bubble agitation of the plating solution has been used to alleviate this problem but cannot replace such ions adjacent the rod as fast as they are depleted.
It would be desirable to have an electrical ground rod that is provided with a substantially continuous and uniform plating over substantially its entire outer surface, including its pointed end portion. It would also be desirable to have a ground rod with a blunt end portion arranged to minimize mushrooming when hammered for driving the rod into the ground.